So you said YES to the ring (and your partner of course) !!!
Now it is time to start planning the big special day you have been waiting on. In the beginning it might feel a little overwhelming with so many moving parts to organise. The best thing to do, is to start with one thing at a time. With the average engagement period for many couples today around the 12 – 18months, it is a good idea to start your wedding dress shopping around 9-12 months before the wedding.
Here are 7 key tips you need to know when looking for a wedding dress.
Do your initial research. Check out all the socials for inspiration. White Lilly Instagram and Pintrest are a great place to start. Look for the parts of the design you like, and sometimes more importantly don’t like. It will really help when you start looking at wedding dresses in person.
Once you have narrowed down a rough design, and the design showroom you want to visit, have a look at their collections (link) prior to your appointment. This will allow you to get the most out of your session with the bridal consultant.
Bring 2 to 3 of your closet and trusted people to your appointment. The ones who will give you honest feedback with a good dose of love. Any more than that, and you are likely to get too many conflicting opinions and leave your appointment feeling unresolved.
Avoid fake tanning to close to your appointment. The last thing you want is damaging one of the dresses, or having an unrealistic colour match between your skin tone and the colour of the dress you want to choose.
Don’t judge a dress on the hanger and try and keep an open mind. You never know what will look good on your till you try it. Remember that sometimes what you leave with, isn’t what you came in with.
Wear nude, seamless underwear / shapewear, and a strapless bra and be prepared to have someone help you into the dress.
Decide on a comfortable budget. It will help you narrow down the options and keep things in perspective.
While you might be nervous, excited, anxious about your first wedding dress appointment. It is important to put your trust in your stylist. They are experts at what they do and have helped countless brides find their perfect gown. They will be able to make suggestions about what dress will fit your body shape. They can also help you with any alterations and discuss any fitness regimens you might have in the lead up to your special day.
It is important to also listen to your gut and pay attention to how the gowns make you feel when deciding. You will know “the one” when you put it on, butterflies in the tummy and tears of joy are not uncommon.
Choosing your wedding dress should be an amazing experience. One that you look back on many years from now with fond memories, not just for the dress but those special people in your life you chose to share it with.
Buying a beautiful diamond with an unlimited budget is easy; finding something just as stunning within your means can sometimes be a bit more challenging. While a lot of us might sometimes believe that we have champagne tastes with a beer budget, you can get an amazing diamond without breaking the bank.
Learning how to pick the bargains just takes years of training, exposure to thousands of diamonds of different grades, and good relationships with overseas diamond cutters. But if you don’t have the time to do this, don’t worry!
All you need to do is find a diamond expert who does have this kind of training and relationships. Balancing the four C’s – cut, colour, clarity and carat weight – is all about deciding which of the four groups you want to allocate more of your funds to, to give you the greatest bang for your buck.
CUT GRADE
One of the biggest mistakes a lot of clients make is to mistake a diamond’s cut for its shape rather than its cut performance or sparkle. When we talk about a diamond’s cut grade, we are only talking about its ability to sparkle.
A diamond’s cut grade is one of the main things that distinguishes your diamond from cubic zirconia and is the thing you should absolutely never compromise on. For the most sparkle, you should be looking out for a diamond with an ‘excellent cut grade’.
The colour range for diamonds sits on the alphabetic scale starting from D-Z.
However, most commercial jewellery store graded diamonds will fall in the G-N range.
While diamonds in the G-I range are considered near colourless, they still pull a lot of yellow and have a distinct yellow tinge. These diamonds are the ones normally found in most jewellery stores stocking mass-produced items.
Diamonds in the D-F range are the only diamonds considered to be in the truly white range. If you are looking to maximise getting the best diamond for your budget, I recommend that the lowest colour you should accept is an F colour.
D and E colours are great if that’s within the budget, but an F colour is the best way to still leverage all the other diamond characteristics to achieve the best performing white diamond.
Clarity refers to the natural marks or inclusions in a diamond under 10× magnification. These inclusions can be:
graphite-type inclusions – these show up as black spots feathers – these look like a small semi-circle crystals – these are essentially small crystalline inclusions that occurred in the stone at the time it was being formed clouds – these are a group or mist of minute inclusions that give a cloud-like appearance.
Carat weight refers to the actual weight of the stone (one carat = 0.2 grams) and this doesn’t always relate to the physical size or diameter you see. As a diamond increases in weight, it also increases in volume in every direction.
So some of the increase or decrease in diamond weight will be seen in the diameter and some will be in the depth. If the stone is poorly cut, it will have more of the weight in the depth and so have a smaller diameter.
It is always better to go for a slightly smaller, more perfectly cut, diamond, over one that just weighs more. A diamond with a better cut will give you many more years of enjoyment and compliments as it sparkles from across the room.
If you’d like more information about the 4 C’s or get amazing tips about determining your ideal budget and choosing the perfect wedding rings, download a free copy of my book by clicking on this link here.
Alternatively, you can book a Discovery Session and come down to our luxury diamond showroom with a budget in mind and speak directly to our expert diamond consultants who can help you decide your maximum budget and find the right engagement ring for your needs.
How do you feel about shopping for wedding rings online? Have you considered the option?
Buying stuff online usually works out cheaper because many vendors online don’t have to pay store site rental, warehouse fees and the general overheads of a regular store, so those savings often go back to the customer.
Browsing through the many great money-saving deals online retailers offer can be overwhelmingly tempting to save a few hundred dollars.
But before you even consider shopping online for your wedding ring, even if it’s from a certified vendor, I strongly suggest you read this.
This is the #1 reason why buying a ring on the Internet is a mug’s game…
Despite the guarantees and returns policies an online company may have, it doesn’t mean squat because most courier companies will not accept any jewellery with diamonds for transit because doing so would violate their dangerous goods policies for the security of their delivery drivers.
This leaves it up to you to somehow find a way to return the ring within a limited time frame and if you bought the ring from outside your home country, the chances of returning it successfully are even slimmer.
You are stuck with a dud ring and no money to go to a real store and get a new one. Even if you somehow manage to find a courier service that will ship it, you are risking a huge investment being lost or stolen.
All it takes is one dishonest postal worker to take away the ring and all the money you sunk into it.
Internet shopping is fine for inexpensive purchases like clothes or electrical goods. The worst that can happen is that you lose out on a few bucks but a wedding ring is special so is not a smart online purchase.
Buying directly from a respected and trustworthy jeweller is really the way to go when choosing a wedding ring. You will always know where your wedding ring came from and where to take it back if anything should happen and be protected by a valid guarantee and warranty policy.
Set up a Discovery Session with us and let us help you choose a truly beautiful wedding ring at a price that suits you and have the peace of mind that we are with you before and after your purchase.
Are you ready to start looking at possible wedding ring choices?
Choosing the right jeweller can be just as important as the rings themselves and with so much choice available you might be stuck even before you start.
Your options range from branded chain stores to more exclusive customized bespoke jewellers, but one thing is for sure if any of the jeweller’s you walk into show you any of these 5 warning signs…you might be best off looking elsewhere.
Bad Service: Pay close attention to how you are treated from the moment you walk through the door to the moment you leave. Bad service is the first sign that the people you are dealing with have no interest in giving you any advice, help or guidance no matter how good their product looks.
The Experience: Does the store make you feel good, do the team that work there make you feel relaxed? Are you offered a drink on arrival? Will they go above and beyond to deliver what you need?
Make sure whoever you purchase your dream ring from treats you like royalty. After all this is one of the most important times of your life and you deserve it!
Sales Pressure: No one likes a pushy salesman, especially when it comes to picking an expensive unique item like a wedding ring. Being pressured by a high powered salesperson means they are more concerned about their commission check than whether or not you walk away with the right wedding rings for your needs.
Take your time and choose a jeweller that offers a fair price that doesn’t depend on you making hasty decisions you will regret later.
Not Listening: A good salesperson should listen to you if they really are going to be able to help you choose the perfect ring. Knowing which wedding rings are going to be right for you comes partially from listening to your likes, desires and more importantly your dislikes.
If the salesperson attending you insists on showing you things that are out of your price range, that don’t fit the tastes you describe or just looks like they are trying to offload a discounted piece, then leave the store right away. They are never going to help you find what you’re looking for.
Poor Store Culture: As soon as you walk into the store, get an instant vibe for the place. If you feel like an alien in a foreign land being observed by the superior beings who look down their noses at you, then you are probably in the wrong place.
Some jewellers have this air of superiority about them because they sell beautiful expensive items. This is a strong indication that they probably think more about their commission than actually giving you great client service.
At Xennox Diamonds we believe that every client that walks through our door deserves great service and special attention and all the help they need to find the perfect wedding rings.
We want to help make your special day as unique and unforgettable as you which is why we want to invite you to book a Discovery Session with us at our luxury showroom.
Come and visit us with or without your partner and we will listen to your thoughts and ideas about your perfect wedding rings before showing you our selection of unique diamond rings.
Brisbane jewellers who conduct their manufacturing on the premises are an excellent place to start when you are looking for your wedding rings.
Wandering from shop to shop, looking for “the one ” that matches your engagement ring perfectly or one that the husband-to-be simply loves can sometimes be a very draining experience.
Having your ring hand made on the premises, allows you to be as involved at every stage of the manufacturing process as you would like to be. Our clients are able to come and have a look at the rings at every stage, to make sure they are 100% happy with the way the ring is progressing.
If there are changes that you would like to make, this is the perfect time to do it. Don’t worry If you can’t make it in to see the piece, we can send you pictures. Best of all, there is no charge for any minor changes you would like to make.
Our aim is to handcraft a piece of jewellery that you are going to love forever, and we will do almost anything to make that happen. After all, this is a ring you are going to have for a very long time.
Custom making a ladies wedding ring means that we can make it match the engagement ring perfectly. So the diamonds line up, the profile is the same and the width is the same. This means it will look as if your wedding and engagement rings are made to be together.
At Xennox Diamonds, our Brisbane jewellers believe hand-making amazing pieces of jewellery is something that is really special, and something that we are really passionate about.
Our diamond consultants are waiting to help you and your partner get the perfect wedding rings you will truly love forever.
Reserve your Discovery Session with us right now by clicking here.
Let’s start with the top 3 questions you should ask yourself before picking a wedding ring
# 1 When is the right time for Wedding Rings?
Your wedding is such a special day, and one you may have planned in your mind for years. It is an occasion to be shared with family and friends and marks a new chapter in your journey together.
If you are reading this then you are probably the bride, and let’s be honest you are probably going to do the lion’s share of the organising. When planning a wedding there are so many things to take into account, not to mention budgeting for them.
So it’s important to make wedding rings a priority, so for decades of happiness to come you want your wedding rings to remind you of your unique love story and the happy memories of your special day.
# 2 When should I organise my wedding rings?
People often ask, “How soon should I organise my wedding rings before the wedding?” My advice is to start the process of wedding rings at least 6 months prior to your day.
Six months may sound like a long time but the selection of wedding ring styles available is extensive and you want to be able to take your time.
Also, you don’t want to be stressed waiting for rings one week before your special day. Having time on your side is also crucial for any alterations that may need to be made.
# 3 How long does it take to make a wedding ring?
For a ladies wedding ring, we usually allow between 2 and 3 weeks – especially if we are custom making the wedding ring to match the engagement ring.
Our Master Jewellers expertly craft the wedding ring to make it look like it was made by the same jeweller, at the same time as your engagement ring. To do this, they will need to keep your engagement ring for at least a week.
For a gentlemen’s ring, the time frame can be a little longer and I would allow a minimum of 4 weeks, as some of the rings are made in Europe.
So what are you waiting for?
While 6 months is a guide, you can really start as soon as you want. Just imagine how great it would be to tick that “To Do” box early! Most reputable jewellers will be happy for you to store your rings in their safe so you can pick them up the week of the wedding. So, find a jeweller who specializes in wedding rings and start the process now!
If you prefer a more personal touch you can come on down to our luxury diamond ring showroom by yourself or with your partner to experience a Discovery Session with our wedding ring specialists so we can help you further to select the perfect ring for you.
Come down to our fully stocked bar, have a smooth scotch on the rocks and enjoy a chat with our experts who are dedicated to making the ring selection process easy and hassle-free.
Book your Discovery Session by clicking on this link here and let us take the pressure off choosing your perfect wedding rings
Different Stories, Same Love
One of the most amazing parts of my job is that I get to see love, joy and happiness every day. Whether it is someone looking to choose an engagement ring for their partner or a couple embarking on the journey together, it is a true privilege to be a part of that special story. We all share in that special function of our humanity, the ability to love. While we all might have different stories, we all share the same love.
Which is why I feel so passionately about marriage equality. I want everyone to have that special feeling of being able to commit their special someone, in a way that truly honours their relationship. But talking about it, just simply wouldn’t be enough. I wanted to do something much greater. My idea was to create a video campaign, to show that we are all the same, and that love is love, no matter what your preferences are.
To mark this important milestone for marriage equality in Australia, we decided to shoot 6 videos to show that we are all the same.
To coincide with the release of our marriage equality videos we also put together a $20,000 prize for one of our 4 lucky couples. This amazing prize came to a conclusion on November the 15th 2017. The amazing prize included diamond rings, a weekend drive of a mini, amazing dinner at Urbane, photography by Evoke Studio, and a proposal moment by unforgettable proposals.
With more than 200 couples who entered the campaign, talking about what marriage equality meant to them, the winners of our amazing campaign were Sinead and Nat. Sinead and Nat had a commitment ceremony 10 years ago, but are looking to tie the knot this time with their twins at the ceremony.
If you have ever planned a wedding or been involved in one, you will probably recall that terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach when you ask “how much is this going to cost.”
I know that there is a perception out there that the mere mention of the 7 letter word is going to push prices up 20% – 40%. But is this real or more of an urban myth?
At the end of the day, does it really cost any more to make something for a wedding than it does for a casual client? My belief is the answer is NO.
When we make a wedding ring, it doesn’t cost any more than someone who wondered in, looking to purchase the same thing to celebrate their one year anniversary. There are a number of elements that go together to make a wedding ring. You have the amount of gold or platinum used, the diamonds, the jeweller’s time to craft the ring and the setting cost of putting the diamonds into the ring. At the end of the day, if one ring costs more, then it is usually because there were more cost elements added into the equation.
The only exception that I can see in the wedding industry is that there may be some wedding business that needs to factor in some extra allowances because of the nature of their business. For example a wedding dress maker may need multiple consultations through the fitting process. Or a wedding florist may need to allow extra for the delivery of the flowers at a remote location or outside of normal business hours.
Of course you should always do your research. It is not always about the cheapest price, because there is always some willing to do it cheaper (even if it isn’t a better finished product). If you are paying more for one particular product, you want to make sure you are actually getting a better finished result. Look at reviews on Google to make sure that the business you are about to engage with has a good track record of happy clients.
There is really no reason that it should not cost more just because you mention the 7 letter word. Certainly if you find a wedding vendor that is trying to capitalise on the celebration of your wedding than you should definitely walk the other way.
If you would like help, in choosing the perfect engagement or wedding ring, there is a lot of great information in my recently published book, “Rock Her World”
If you’d like more tips like these about determining your ideal budget and choosing the perfect wedding rings, download a free copy of my book by clicking on this link here.
Alternatively, you can book a Discovery Session and come down to our luxury diamond showroom with a budget in mind and speak directly to our expert diamond consultants who can help you decide your maximum budget and find the right engagement ring for your needs.
Wedding day diamonds are a great way to spoil your new bride on one of the most magical days of her life. Wedding days can be an exciting roller coaster of emotions. New beginnings as the two of you begin your new life together, contrasted with the sadness of some fathers of the bride, who see their daughter leaving as the end of a chapter of their life.
Who to give the Wedding Day Diamonds to?
Like the best man who is in charge of the wedding rings. The maid of honour or sister of the bride is a great choice, to give the wedding day diamonds to (which ever you are closer to). You will need to arrange a little get together prior to the wedding day to finalise the finer points of your plan.
When to give it to her?
It is a good idea to do a little research here, to find out what her wedding itinerary will be like. Ideally you want to try and arrange to have it presented when the mood is just right. An ideal moment is when she is having her hair done, or she is celebrating the moment with a glass of bubbles. It is a good idea to avoid doing it when she is having her make up applied as she may cry and cause her mascara to run.
How to make it special?
While I am sure most ladies would be over the moon to receive diamonds on their wedding day. There is something that you guys can do, to make it even more special. Inside the box, write a special hand written note, telling her how special she is, and how much you are looking forward to seeing her walk down the aisle. I guarantee it will be something that she will treasure as much as the diamonds.
How much should you spend on wedding day diamonds?
Like everything in life, guides are just that. There is no strict rule as to how much you should spend, and everyones budget is different. Especially with the cost of weddings these days, it is important to pick something that isn’t going to blow out the already maxed out credit card. As a rough guide a set of fine diamond hoops could be from the $800 – $1500+.
Diamond studs are also a popular choice if she doesn’t have any, and are unlikely to clash with her wedding day dress.
Are you in need of a holiday? Or are you planning a wedding and looking for an amazing destination to kick back and recover from all your wedding planning? For some couples, all the effort that goes into planning a holiday can really take its toll. To help we are having our annual holiday promotion. We are picking up the tab for the resort accommodation at the Paradise Taveuni Resort in Fiji. This honeymoon location is a great way to recharge the batteries and reconnect with your new loved one.
With the average Australian wedding now costing over $40,000, a relaxing overseas tropical honeymoon is something high on the wish list for brides today. Even better if it is a FREE holiday. If you have been trying to decide where to go for your honeymoon, this might make the decision making process a little easier.
Lucky couples who purchase their wedding or engagement ring from Xennox Diamonds between July and August 2014, will see themselves soaking up the sun with a free holiday in Fiji. Saving the stress and expense of planning that dream honeymoon and leaving nothing to do but relax and bask in the beauty of that sparkling new ring.
Proposal Idea
While the concept for this promotion was designed around honeymoon’s, there is no reason why it can’t be used to plan a surprise proposal, Hint, Hint !!!! Gentlemen, please take note, this location would be ideal for popping the question. The money you save on the free holiday, could even go towards the ring you will be proposing with. Now there really has never been a better time to take the plunge. It will truly be a proposal she will never forget.
FREE Holiday –Taveuni Honeymoon – Fiji
Taveuni Island Resort & Spa is the jewel of the Pacific. It is set in ten acres of immaculate manicured tropical gardens, and accommodates only 12 privileged couples. There are only twelve accommodations with each house positioned for maximum privacy and to take advantage of the spectacular views over the azure ocean and surrounding islands.
On trip advisor, Paradise Taveuni has received a 4 1/2 star rating from more than 200 reviews, and a 94% thumbs up rating. You can see more of the reviews here
Here are the Honeymoon details
There are three levels of accommodation on offer,
a. For purchases between AUD$4,000-$7,000 will recieve a AUD$2,000 holiday package at Paradise Taveuni, Fiji. Inclusive of 5 nights accommodation, breakfast daily, return airport transfers and activities. b. For purchases between AUD$7,001-$14,000 will receive a AUD$2,600 holiday package at Paradise Taveuni, Fiji. Inclusive of 5 nights accommodation, breakfast daily, a one course lunch, two course dinner, return airport transfers, a Paradise Massage and activities. c. For purchases AUD$14,001 or greater will receive a AUD$3,600 holiday package at Paradise Taveuni, Fiji. Inclusive of 7 nights accommodation, all meals, return airport transfers, Wi-Fi access, a Paradise Massage and activities.
All holiday packages must be booked before 30th June, 2015 and used before 30th November, 2015. You can see more of the T@C here